old yeast

Grains, malts, hops, yeast, water and other ingredients used to brew. Recipe reviews and suggestions.

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spgriffin
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old yeast

Post by spgriffin »

I have a smack pack dated August 2009 I found in my fridge, can I still use it? If so how many days before I brew should I smack it?
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slothrob
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old smack pack

Post by slothrob »

That's getting up there, but there should be viable yeast still.
The rule-of-thumb is to allow 1 day for every month from the date on the pack, so maybe as much as 10 days! If the pack manages to inflate, I'd plan on making a starter before using it, however. Otherwise you're guaranteed to underpitch.
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jawbox
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Post by jawbox »

absolutely positively make a starter before using this one. Like sloth said you're guaranteed to under-pitch
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